A New Fear
by BlackFox12
Summary: An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother’s death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her
1. Chapter One

**A New Fear**

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame and I'm not making any money from this fic. The character. The character Akemi Kagoshima belongs to me

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'

**Author's Note:** In spite of giving me way more than my daily scare limit, Fatal Frame has been a really good game to play. This idea has been nudging at me since I first started playing, so here it is. For those of you who don't know the game, there are a lot of websites – via Google – on it.

* * *

There are going to be some big differences from the game. It wouldn't be interesting otherwise. I hope you enjoy.

"Miku... I'm home." Mafuyu pushed open the door to his apartment and let out a quiet sigh as he saw the books and papers scattered all over the floor and most of the available surfaces. "Hey! Miku, can't you pick up your things for once?"

When there was no answer, Mafuyu frowned. A cold prickle of unease trailed down his spine. Miku should have been at home, studying.

Where was she?

Mafuyu stepped into the apartment, letting the door close behind him. Maybe Miku was in her bedroom... As he headed in that directon, he passed the kitchen. When he peeked through the door, he saw that there were still dishes piled in the sink and on the sides.

No matter what else he could say about Miku, she'd always been neat when it came to housework. Not very organised when it came to her schoolwork, but it wasn't like her to leave dirty dishes unattended; not unless there was something seriously wrong.

A wave of panic rushed over him when Mafuyu opened the door to Miku's room, only to find that his sister had gone. He fought to keep from losing his mind. There was no need to panic; Miku had probably just gone out for a walk or something. And as for the dishes? Well, everyone had the right to an 'off' day every once in a while.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling that something was wrong?

Mafuyu was about to leave the room again when he noticed the note that was taped to the wall. Frowning, he walked over and tore the piece of paper off. He quickly scanned the writing.

_Big brother,_

_I know you're going to be really mad at me for this, but I have to go. I had a vision of you with ropes around your neck, ankles, and wrists. If you go into that mansion, you'll die. I don't want to lose you as well, so I'm going to enter __Himuro__ mansion so that you don't have to._

_I love you, __Mafuyu_

_Miku_

Mafuyu crumpled up the note and threw it to the floor. For a moment, he just stood there, struggling to stay calm. Why couldn't Miku have talked to him about her vision? He'd always been understanding about his sister's psychic abilities. He knew better than to just dismiss them out of hand. Miku had been right more often than not.

Mafuyu realised that he couldn't just go rushing off after his sister, as much as he might want to. He'd wanted to learn more about about the mansion, which was why he hadn't immediately gone after his friend. More research wasn't an option now – but he could at least take the time to collect a flashlight... couldn't he?

* * *

Mafuyu had to admit that Himuro mansion had probably seen better days. As he played the flashlight over the first room, he thought it looked like a war had been fought there. He picked his way gingerly over the rubble; and the light ghosted over something child-shaped, covered with a cloth, behind a metal grate.

Miku? No... his sister was small, but not _that_ small. He wanted to see who – or what – was under the cloth, but couldn't see any way of getting past the grate. The shape wasn't moving, anyway.

Half of the stairs had collapsed, but the other half seemed sturdy enough. Still, Mafuyu was careful walking up. Miku was lighter than he was, after all.

There was a screen near the top of the stairs. Mafuyu played the light over the surface, but couldn't make anything out; though he thought he could hear the sound of someone breathing. Miku?

As he edged round the back of the screen, Mafuyu glimpsed a figure huddled behind it. As he moved nearer to her, though, his view was obscured by blue fire, through which he could see the face of Mr. Takamine's editor – Koji Ogata.

_Now there's another rope,_ the ghost whispered, before disappearing.

The girl behind the screen wasn't Miku. Mafuyu pushed away the bitter disappointment and crouched down beside her. For a brief, awful moment, he thought that she was dead – she was huddled into herself, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head bowed. Mafuyu realised that she was breathing, though, and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "Hey..."

The girl recoiled sharply, arm raised as if to ward off a blow. Mafuyu glimpsed a pale, smudged face framed by tangled dark hair. He held his hands up, shuffling back a few steps. "It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Mafuyu."

Slowly, the girl lowered her arm. "Are you... real?" she asked hesitantly.

Mafuyu nodded. "I'm real. What's your name?" He kept his voice gentle, as if speaking to a frightened animal, while his mind raced. Had a similar girl gone missing in the mansion? He hadn't read about one – but he hadn't had time to research properly.

By now, the girl seemed to be calming down slightly. "Akemi." After a brief hesitation, she added, "Kagoshima. My friends dared me to come here. I have no idea how long it's been. Can you get me out? The lock on the front door is broken."

"It's broken?" Mafuyu stood up.

Akemi grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me!"

Mafuyu gently pulled his arm free. "I'm not leaving you," he replied. "I just want to go and check the door. You can stay here; I'll be right back."

When Mafuyu walked round the screen, though, Akemi got up and followed him. True to his word, Mafuyu simply walked over to the door and shone his flashlight on the lock. "That's strange," he muttered, seeing that it was indeed broken. "How could I have got in if it was broken?"

"We should just stay by the door and try to open it," Akemi said, a note of desperation in her voice.

Mafuyu shook his head. "My sister came into this mansion. I'm not leaving without her. You can stay here, if you'd prefer. I'll come back for you." He straightened and started heading up the steps again.

Once more, Akemi started following him. "Your sister's already dead."

Mafuyu paused and glanced at her. "Why do you say that?" A sudden image of Miku with her limbs and head missing came into his mind. He shook his head, but couldn't dismiss the vision entirely.

"I'm the only person alive here," Akemi replied.

"But you don't know for sure." It wasn't a question. Mafuyu struggled to keep the note of desperation out of his voice.

"What does your sister look like?"

Mafuyu considered that for a few moments. "She's seventeen years old," he answered. "Short, auburn hair. She'd be wearing a plain necklace and her school uniform, which is a white blouse and a short skirt."

Akemi frowned, then lowered her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I saw a ghost who looked like that..."

It took Mafuyu a few moments to fully register what she'd said. "That's impossible," he replied, trying not to lose control. "Where did you see her ghost? Take me there. I'm not leaving unless I know for sure that she's dead – and I refuse to believe that. I'm not just going to leave her."

"I'll let you know when we're there." Akemi's expression didn't reveal anything.

Mafuyu nodded briefly and headed towards the door to the side of the screen without saying anything. As he did so, he noticed a few sheets there which he was sure he hadn't seen before. Frowning, he bent and picked them up. Though they appeared to be notes from Koji Ogata's diary, the words seemed to be merely delirious nonsense; a repeat of what his ghost had said.

Akemi hovered by the door, watching him.

Fighting back his feelings of worry and unease, Mafuyu walked over to the door and opened it, peering through before he tentatively took a few steps.

There were ropes hanging in the hallway – five of them. Peering closer, Mafuyu thought he could make out bloodstains on them. He looked at Akemi over his shoulder. "What do you think this means?" he asked, playing the light over her face.

Akemi shook her head. "I have no idea. I only stayed in that entrance area. You're the only living person I've seen since coming here."

Mafuyu was about to ask her how she'd managed to see Miku's ghost, but he saw that she was looking past him. He turned, and jumped when he saw another figure... but he relaxed a little when he saw it was a mirror. He also saw something glinting on the ground and bent to pick it up.

It was his mother's antique camera.

Had Miku dropped it? Where was she now? Mafuyu started to pick up the camera, intending to look at the photos his sister had taken, but stopped when he heard Akemi gasp. He looked up to see a woman standing in the mirror behind him. He whirled round.

There was no one there.

Mafuyu turned back to the mirror and found himself frozen as the woman came closer. He could only stare as her hand seeped through the glass...


	2. Chapter Two

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic. You already know which character belongs to me.

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'

**Author's Note:** Thank you to those who have read and reviewed this so far. I hope you enjoy the next chapter as much as the first

* * *

Mafuyu stood paralysed, unable to move. But it wasn't fear which held him there. Something about the woman drew him. He could see... were those tears in her eyes?

He didn't even realise his hand was pressed against the glass until the woman disappeared.

"Did you... see that?" Mafuyu turned to look at Akemi. "You saw her, right?" He didn't bother to try and hide the desperation in his tone. He needed to know he wasn't going mad.

"Are you marked?"

Mafuyu frowned. "What?" He cut himself off when Akemi headed over and started pulling up his sleeves. "Hey, what are you doing?!" He pulled away, remembering that she had lied about his sister... but she seemed to know more about what was going on here than she was letting on.

Was is wise to alienate her?

Akemi lowered her hands. "You're not marked yet. That's good. It means we've still got enough time to get out of here."

"Wait a moment." Mafuyu stared hard at her, fingering the camera he hadn't even realised he'd picked up. "You lied to me. I want to know why." He played the camera over her pale, dirty face. How long had she been in the mansion for? How much could he even trust her? He wasn't ready to take any chances.

Akemi looked confused for a moment. Then, she sighed. "It's true that I never left the entrance hall. That's where I saw your sister's ghost. My friends seemed to think that the ghosts might be bound to particular areas inside the mansion. I guess it must be true, otherwise why would they stay here?"

What she was saying made an awful kind of sense. But Mafuyu was still not going to just leave without making sure he knew exactly what had happened to his sister. "I told you that you didn't have to come with me. You'll probably be safe enough in the entrance area."

Akemi shook her head. "I don't want to be on my own here. Besides... safety in numbers, right? But promise me that we'll leave as soon as you find what you're looking for."

"I don't intend to stay here any longer than I have to." But that wasn't quite true. The woman in the mirror was still in his thoughts. Was she the one responsible for all the missing people? She'd seemed so sad...

"Good." Akemi started walking, but paused when she came to a door just past the mirror. "You want to open this, or shall I?"

"Just a moment... I want to check what photos Miku took." Mafuyu frowned as he studied the pictures. There was one of a child by the grating in the entrance hall; and two of a man who looked like he was bound by ropes. Without looking up, Mafuyu beckoned Akemi over. "What do you make of these?" He showed her the photos.

Akemi shrugged slightly. "They look like spirits to me. I guess cameras work in a similar way to mirrors. Legend has it a soul can be trapped inside a mirror. Perhaps a spirit can be trapped inside a photo."

Was that what had happened to the woman he'd seen? Mafuyu glanced over at the mirror and then walked over to the door. "Stay behind me," he told Akemi, before opening it and stepping through.

_Help us._

Mafuyu squinted, sure that he could see a little girl hovering between two suits of armour. He blinked; and the apparition was gone. "Did you see that?"

"I'm scared enough already. I don't need you adding to it."

Mafuyu shook his head slightly. He walked over and shone the flashlight over the armour. The suits didn't look like they were there merely for decoration. Even to his untrained eye, they looked like they'd seen some hard use.

A few moments later, Mafuyu thought he heard a sound next to him. He looked to the side to see Akemi closing a drawer. In her other hand, she was holding a sheaf of papers which seemed to have been torn out of a notebook.

"Let me see those." Mafuyu took the papers from her unresisting grip and scanned them, frowning a little as he read about the plot of Mr. Takamine's next work. "Why were these left in a drawer?" It would have made more sense for them to have been dropped on the floor... It looked like the papers had been hidden deliberately.

Akemi shrugged. "Maybe he wanted them to be found by someone living." She passed the drawers and walked into the next room. Then, she leaned back. "Hey, are you coming in? There's something here you might want to take a look at."

"What happened to sticking together?" Mafuyu put the papers in his backpack and walked into the room, pausing as he saw the bookcases. "Interesting," he breathed, shining the flashlight over the titles. Half of them were illegible; but the other half seemed to be about dark rituals.

"Pleasant family," Akemi commented. "Do you think they practiced the rituals, or just collected books about them?"

"Depends on which family you're talking about. I think the most recent family had interest in rituals. Don't know about the Himuro family. I don't think anyone really knows much about them."

"I would have thought you could have done a little bit more research before coming here. How do you expect to save anyone if you don't know anything?"

Mafuyu frowned at her. "You don't have to stay with me. I told you that I'd come back to the entrance hall. And you and my sister are the only people I'm reasonably sure are still alive here." He was still hoping that Mr. Takamine and the others were still alive, but he was losing that hope fast. He then realised that Akemi was looking past him, over his shoulder; and he turned round.

A man was walking past. It only took Mafuyu a moment to realise who it was. "Mr. Ogata!" He ran after the man, only then realising that the man's form was insubstantial.

Koji Ogata disappeared in front of a screen near the foot of the stairs.

"Was that one of your friends?" Akemi asked, moving over to Mafuyu's side. When he nodded, she sighed lightly. "I'm sorry. But like I told you... everyone here is dead. We should get out of here fast, before we end up dead as well."

Mafuyu stopped listening to her. He felt a slight prickle, as if someone was staring at him, and caught sight of the little girl again. The next moment, she was standing in front of him.

"What does she want?!" Akemi grabbed his arm.

The little girl pointed at the screen and then at the camera in Mafuyu's hand. Then, she simply faded from view again.

Mafuyu pulled his arm free of Akemi and then looked down at the camera. Should he take a photo? How did he know that the little girl was trying to help him? He had no idea who she was, or what her history was with the mansion.

"What are we going to do?" Akemi whispered.

It wasn't like he had any other leads to go on. Mafuyu took a step back and raised the camera to his eye. He took a picture of the screen; and his breath caught in his throat as the photo revealed a door in place of the screen.

"Mafuyu?" Akemi sounded very hesitant as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold this." He put the camera in her hands and pulled the screen to one side, revealing a door; exactly where it had been in the photo. He then took the camera back from Akemi. "I have the feeling that things are going to get more dangerous from here on. You should probably wait here or in the entrance hall, where it seems to be relatively safe."

Akemi glanced at the door and then at him. "Not going to happen. I'd like to know how you knew that door was there - but I suspect that I wouldn't like the answer."

Mafuyu glanced at her, wondering if she was unobservant, or merely too frightened to make the obvious connection. Still, if it made her feel better, he wasn't going to say anything. He thought about insisting that she stay where it was safer, but changed his mind. In some ways, it made him feel a little bit better to have company.

"Stay close to me." Mafuyu pushed open the door and stepped through into the darkened hallway, where he saw Mr. Ogata's face through blue fire.

_I can't find the key..._ the ghost whispered.

Mafuyu sighed and pulled his arm free of Akemi's hand again, wondering just how sharp her nails were. "It's going to be difficult to do anything if you keep grabbing onto me like that."

"Sorry." But Akemi kept close behind him as Mafuyu walked down the hallway.

There were two doors down the far end of the hallway. Mafuyu didn't even get close to them before he was hit by a powerful force. Instantly, he knew he wouldn't be able to open them - not yet, at least.

But there was another door to his left. He opened it and walked through, heading past the screen and up to the chest of drawers. As he did so, he caught sight of Mr. Ogata from out of the corner of his eye. Automatically, he lifted the camera and took a picture of the spirit.

There was a newspaper clipping on top of the drawers. Akemi edged past him to pick it up. "It's about a body having been found with its arms, legs, and head missing."

"Thanks." Mafuyu took the clipping, looked it over briefly, and then slipped it into his backpack as well.

Akemi followed him into the room and stood next to him as they looked around what appeared to be a bedroom. "I wonder who this belonged to..."

Mafuyu shrugged and shone his flashlight around the room. There was a tapestry by the window with faded flowers on it, and another set of doors held by a powerful force.

For a brief moment, Mafuyu wondered if the little girl had misled him. Then, he noticed the closet. As he moved over to it, Akemi touched his arm. "Be careful," she warned, the concern obvious in her face and voice.

Mafuyu lifted his hand, intending to pat hers reassuringly, but changed his mind, instead pushing her hand away. "I'll be fine."

Akemi's eyes flickered towards the closet; and she took a step back. "You want to get yourself killed, fine. I'm staying well away from that closet... or haven't you seen any horror films where something's hiding in the closet, waiting to pounce?"

Mafuyu couldn't figure out why she suddenly seemed angry with him. He had a younger sister, but that didn't mean he could understand women any better. Besides, he didn't have time to try and understand Akemi. He had his sister to find; and the mystery of the disappearances to solve. He was sure the two were connected.

After taking a deep breath, Mafuyu opened the closet.

There was a tape recorder inside.

Mafuyu glanced back at Akemi, before reaching out to take the tape recorder. Then, he jumped as he felt a cold hand grab his wrist. Slowly, he raised his head; and found himself looking into Koji Ogata's eyes. He was then overwhelmed by a vision.

Mr. Ogata had hid in the closet, pulling the door closed. However, as he looked on in horror, the door was pulled back by the figure of a woman, her features obscured by her hair. She reached out to him as manic laughter echoed in his ears.

Abruptly, the vision ended; and Mafuyu came back to himself again, heart thumping painfully in his chest. As his fingers closed over the tape recorder, he heard something creak from behind him.


	3. Chapter Three

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'

**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks for the reviews for this so far. This chapter has different occurrences than in the game, just to warn you.

* * *

"The door opened," Akemi announced, her voice shaking slightly. "Do you want to go through?"

"Just a moment." Mafuyu opened the tape recorder and found a white tape inside, which seemed to have been used up to about halfway through. He pressed PLAY, and Koji Ogata's voice filled the room.

"September 9th, 5:40pm. The mansion was nowhere to be seen on the map, so we finally had to ask the locals how to find it. They told us that Himuro Mansion has been empty for several decades now. The same one who told us where it was also warned us not to come here, which is quite disconcerting."

As the tape finished playing, the little girl appeared again. She didn't even look at Akemi, instead watching Mafuyu. _Hurry up!_ She disappeared before he could react.

Akemi glanced towards him and then at the door. "I guess... Should we... go in?" she asked hesitantly, lacing her hands behind her back.

Mafuyu could understand her reluctance. But he knew that he didn't have a choice. For too long, it had only been him and his sister. He couldn't lose her. She was the only person he had left. "As I said before... you're welcome to stay behind." But what room in the mansion was safe?

Akemi just shook her head, though she moved away from the door.

Mafuyu wanted to pat her shoulder sympathetically or something. But he was wary of getting too close to anyone. Like Miku, his sixth sense had alienated him from practically everyone at school and work. He had never been able to get close to the people he'd even been able to talk to. There'd always been a wall between him and everyone else, save his sister.

Akemi took a breath. "Do you mind if I go in after you? This place makes me nervous."

"Sure." Mafuyu didn't hesitate. He walked through the door, shining his flashlight over the kimonos which were hanging up. As he moved past them, he glimpsed Mr. Ogata's ghost walking past on the other side, mumbling to itself. Akemi was walking so close to him, he could feel her body brushing against his; and he tensed automatically. But at least she wasn't grabbing at him again.

Mafuyu only spared the kimono chest a glance. Next to it, there was a red set of drawers, which he got a strange sense from. He tried opening one of the drawers, but found that it was locked. As he studied it, he was aware of Akemi heading past him. "Hey, do you hear something?" she asked.

"I don't think so." Mafuyu left the box alone and moved over to Akemi's side, shining the flashlight around.

_Hey!_

Mafuyu jumped at the voice - but he couldn't see anyone. Slowly, he raised the camera to his eye. Looking through it, he saw a familiar figure.

"Mr. Ogata!"

_Let me out..._ The spirit stumbled towards Mafuyu. As its hands touched him, Mafuyu felt a piercing pain stab through his wrists. He stumbled backwards, unable to do anything as Mr. Ogata grabbed at him and his fingers went slack, causing the camera to fall from his hands.

"Get out of the way!" Akemi grabbed his arm and pulled him back before the spirit could latch onto him again.

Mafuyu fell against her. "Get the camera," he directed weakly, though Koji Ogata's spirit was hovering just behind it. The camera was their only weapon. He needed it back.

Akemi's eyes darted towards the spirit. She hesitated briefly, but then threw herself forward and grabbed the camera, shoving it into his hands.

Mafuyu stepped forward, nudging Akemi behind him. Once again, he lifted the camera to his eye. This time, he was able to capture the spirit in the photos. But when he'd done so, he felt sad. He hadn't known Mr. Ogata as well as Mr. Takamine, but the other man hadn't deserved to die; and certainly not here and now.

"Are you all right?" Akemi asked hesitantly.

Mafuyu nodded slightly, but didn't speak. He walked over to the drawers again, since he'd sensed a strangeness about them. After a moment's hesitation, he raised the camera and took a picture. But the photo showed something else - what appeared to be a lion's mask.

Hadn't he seen that in the other room?

"What do you see?" Akemi stood next to him, peering doubtfully at the camera. "What does that do?"

"I'm not quite sure," Mafuyu admitted. "It clearly shows things which are normally hidden - like the photo I took just now. It showed me the lion mask which was in the other room." As he spoke, Mafuyu watched her surreptitiously. It was an unspoken rule between him and his sister that they didn't talk about their abilities to anyone outside the family. How Akemi reacted to the camera would tell him something about how she might react to discovering his sixth sense.

Akemi blinked once and studied the camera curiously. "Cameras might be able to capture ghosts, but that other ability suggests that it's not an ordinary photo... Can I take a look?"

Mafuyu wanted to get on with finding his sister - but he figured it couldn't hurt to let her have a look. He passed the camera to Akemi, who took it carefully, as if afraid of dropping it.

As Akemi turned the camera over in her hands, Mafuyu noticed some papers and another tape on the floor where the ghost had been. Though he was sure they hadn't been there before, he walked over and picked them up.

The papers were from Mr. Ogata's diary, and mentioned that he hadn't been feeling well since Tomoe - Mr. Takamine's assistant - had taken his photo, also mentioning something about a rope. In his mind, Mafuyu put those papers with the others he had found. The mention of ropes made more sense now.

Were those ropes connected to the strange murders?

Mafuyu looked up and saw that Akemi was pointing the camera at him. He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't," he said, feeling uneasy.

Akemi lowered the camera with a frown. "Why? What's wrong?"

Mafuyu just shook his head. How could he explain? He was worried that ropes might show up in his photo as well. But Akemi had said she was scared enough. So he said nothing and simply held out his hand for the camera, before putting the new tape into the player.

"September 9th, 9:40pm. It seemed dangerous to walk to the mountain at night. So we decided to spend the night here and continue our work. I've been through several rooms already. Unlike the exterior, the interior is still in quite good shape. A little earlier, I thought I saw the white shadowy figure of a woman in the hallway near the entrance. I'll keep track of such sightings and publish them in a later account."

Once Mr. Ogata's voice had faded, Mafuyu put the tape recorder away and then made his way out of the two rooms, with Akemi walking after him. He headed down the hallway and out of the door, walking past the cauldron and over to the lion mask, where he could see something glinting.

Before he could look, though, he heard the sound of a child laughing and footsteps running. When he turned, he saw two figures running up the stairs - one of them a little girl; the other a young woman.

Mafuyu took a deep breath, and then reached out to remove a mirror from the mask. He turned to look at Akemi, who was still standing by the screen. "Are you all right?"

Akemi nodded and looked down briefly. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes; for as much good it'll do me." Mafuyu studied Akemi's face. Had the child ghost bothered her? He'd been prepared for the possibility since he'd read about children disappearing in the mansion. But it still saddened him. Bad things shouldn't happen to children. If he had the chance, he wanted to free the lost souls. "We need to go back to the kimono room," he added.

"Great." Akemi sighed. She stepped to one side. "After you."

Mafuyu stepped back into the hallway, letting out a relieved sigh when nothing happened. However, when he was about to go into the room, he noticed Mr. Ogata in the open cupboard at the far end. _Over here!_ the spirit exclaimed.

"Stay here." Mafuyu walked over to the cupboard and slid the door open.

There was nothing there.

Mafuyu frowned, feeling a bit uneasy. Why had Mr. Ogata's spirit reached out to him like that? Had the mansion forced the ghosts into insanity?

Mafuyu walked back over to Akemi and opened the door. Then, he stepped back, arm out in front of her, as he saw Mr. Ogata hanging there, eyes glassy and ropes attached to his limbs.

The ghost was only there for a split second, but Mafuyu winced as Akemi's nails dug into his arm. He didn't say anything, though, just pulled himself free and awkwardly patted her hand. "It's all right." Still holding the mirror - thankfully, the shock hadn't caused him to drop it - and started into the room.

Ahead of him, on top of the drawers and next to the bowl, Mafuyu could see one or two sheets of paper. He walked over and picked the paper up, noticing immediately that it looked like the writing belonged to a child.

_Mum and dad have gone. They told me that I have to stay here, and they'll be back to pick me up. It's scary here, and I don't like the master._

Mafuyu frowned, studying the piece of paper. But it didn't really give him any new information. Still, he put the page into his file, wondering if the writer had been the girl running up the stairs. But he couldn't dwell on that for long.

He had to find his sister and work out just what was going on in the mansion. Not to mention get Akemi out safely.

"What did you find?" Akemi asked.

"A diary page - from someone who lived in this mansion," Mafuyu answered. "I don't know any more than that. Not yet, at least. Are you ready to go back to the kimono room?"

"I'd rather not, but I guess we'll have to." Akemi took a deep breath. "Mind going in first?"

Mafuyu shook his head. He'd expected that, anyway. Still keeping a tight hold of both the mirror and the camera, he stepped back into the kimono room and over to the drawers.

When Mafuyu put the mirror in its place, the top drawer popped open. Inside, there was a key - and a photo of Mr. Ogata with ropes around his neck, legs, and arms. It was probably the same photo that had been mentioned in the diary.

Mafuyu put the photo in his backpack and the key in his pocket. He then nodded to Akemi. "We can go now."

"I wish that really were the case." But Akemi went to the door and tried it. Then, she paused. "I can't open it," she said, a trace of panic in her voice.

"What? Let me try." Mafuyu started to walk over to her.

_Let me out!_

Mafuyu turned round to see Mr. Ogata's spirit lurching towards him. He started to raise the camera, but then paused. Maybe he could get through to the ghost... "Mr. Ogata, I'm trying to help you," he said. "I want to free you and everyone else trapped in this place. But you have to tell me what's happening."

The spirit paused.

Encouraged by this, Mafuyu went on. "You know who I am, don't you? I'm a friend of Mr. Takamine's. I came here looking for him - and you."

_Mafuyu, _the spirit whispered.


	4. Chapter Four

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Four**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'

**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks for the reviews for this so far. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter .

* * *

Mafuyu studied Mr. Ogata's spirit, hoping that he was blocking the ghost's view of Akemi - but he didn't dare look back over his shoulder to check.

The ghost swayed, and Mafuyu felt a brief spark of hope. However, its face darkened again; and it lunged straight at Mafuyu.

Automatically - and rather sadly - Mafuyu raised the camera and banished the editor's spirit again. He then closed his eyes briefly and sighed. He should really have expected it - but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

Akemi was silent for a few long moments. Then, finally, she spoke up. "I suppose the spirits are always going to be trapped in this mansion, at least until the curse is broken."

"I'm even more determined to stop this now." Mafuyu didn't look at her as he fingered the key in his pocket. "I want to try upstairs now." He spoke firmly, decisively; but was unable to shake the image of Miku wandering around someplace, hurt and confused. Or, worse - lying dead. He shuddered at the thought.

"I can open the door now," Akemi said quietly.

Mafuyu turned round. "You should stay behind me," he told her. "I don't know how you managed to stay alive for this long - but your luck can't hold forever."

"I don't even know how long it's been." Akemi waited for him to walk out of the room and then followed. "It's like this place is out of time. If we could see outside, the weather probably wouldn't have changed."

"You could be right." Mafuyu filed that theory away in his head to study later. Right now, he couldn't afford any distractions.

Fortunately, nothing happened as they walked down the hallway. But as Mafuyu stepped through the door, he heard the sound of someone running up the stairs; and a door slamming.

Mafuyu glanced back at Akemi, who looked quite pale, but didn't say anything. Then, he started up the stairs - uncomfortably aware of the feeling that he was being watched by unfriendly eyes. It wasn't helped by Akemi's insistence on being so close to him.

There was a door between two faded screens. Mafuyu briefly thought that he could hear someone moving around behind the door. He took the key out of his pocket and unlocked it, then - after a brief hesitation - stepped through.

_I should never have come here._

Mafuyu frowned as he thought he heard Tomoe Hirasaka's voice. He shone the flashlight around the room, noticing the table in the middle and the brazier off to one side. He walked over to it, but there was too much dust to be able to see the bottom.

It took Mafuyu a few moments to realise that Akemi had gone past him to the door next to the brazier. When she would have opened the door, Mafuyu reached out to stop her. "We don't know what might be behind there," he said. "We need to be careful here." What he didn't add - but wanted to - was a reminder of what had obviously happened to Mr. Ogata.

Akemi looked at Mafuyu and nodded slightly. "I suppose you're right," she replied. "Should we go in?"

Mafuyu hesitated briefly. He then nudged Akemi to one side and pushed open the door.

The room looked as though it had belonged to a child at some point. There was a small, dusty kimono hanging up; and a couple of dolls sitting on top of a chest of drawers. Next to them was another tape - this one with a red label.

Mafuyu put the tape in the player and pressed Play. He listened in silence to Tomoe's voice.

"September 10th, 10:20am. We discovered some disturbing photos in a chest of drawers. Could these be the folklorist's children mentioned in Koji's notes? The photo is quite old and shows some children playing Demon Tag. In the corner of the photo, there is the faded image of a young girl in a white kimono. Her finger is pointing this way, and her eyes look as if she's making some final dedication."

Once the tape had finished playing, Mafuyu closed his eyes briefly. He was beginning to lose hope of finding Mr. Takamine alive, but he still clung to the thought of finding his sister alive.

Despite what Akemi had said.

"Do you think that those pictures are somewhere in this room?" Akemi asked. "We could take a look in the drawers or something."

Mafuyu frowned. "I don't feel comfortable going through people's drawers."

"So you're all right with breaking into someone's house, but not with going through their drawers?" Akemi shook her head. "It's not like anyone lives here anymore – not since that folklorist and his wife and child." She tried the drawers and shrugged. "Looks like the damp's warped them anyway. They won't budge."

Mafuyu said nothing as he left the room. He felt some annoyance as Akemi followed him; but pushed it away. She was likely feeling just as lost as he was. "It's going to be all right." The words slipped out without conscious thought.

"I wish I could believe that," Akemi muttered.

Mafuyu headed past a screen with a picture of the moon on it. On one side of him, there was a room. Through a hole in the wall, he could see a lot of books – but when he tried the door, it was locked.

There was another door further down on the other side. Mafuyu glanced back over his shoulder to check on Akemi, then opened the door and stepped through.

Ahead of him, Mafuyu could see a woman turning in his direction. He raised the camera automatically; and took a photo of Tomoe Hirasaka.

Though he'd expected it, this realisation of Tomoe's death dealt him quite a blow. For long moments, he just stared at the spot where she had stood. Then, slowly, he walked over to where he could see a tape and some papers lying on the floor.

After reading the papers – Tomoe talked about seeing a woman in white, dragging ropes as she walked – Mafuyu put the tape in the player and pressed Play.

"September 11th, 8:16pm. We've looked all over the mansion, but we still can't find Koji. It's true that this mansion is huge, but surely we would have found him by now. Could he have left? He's been talking about more ropes since yesterday."

When Tomoe's voice had finished, Mafuyu put the tape recorder away with a slight sigh. He looked at Akemi, then glanced at the mirror. "That's the second mirror I've seen in this mansion," he commented. "I wonder if there's something special about them – they've not been in places I'd expect them to be." And, of course, there was that woman he'd seen in the other mirror.

Akemi shrugged slightly. "I guess we'll find out eventually," she replied. "If we live that long, that is."

Mafuyu had to admit she was right. He was about to add something, when he felt someone push past him. A little girl ran in front of him, disappearing before she got to Akemi.

Akemi flinched and moved closer to Mafuyu. "There are too many ghosts here."

"We might be about to meet another one," Mafuyu said, remembering that the girl he'd seen before had been chased. He started down the stairs that were in the direction the child had come from. He was aware of Akemi keeping close behind him.

As he stepped onto the last stair, Mafuyu saw long arms reach around the corner, followed by their owner – a spirit whose eyes gleamed with a terrible light.


	5. Chapter Five

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Five**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'

**Author's Note:** Once again, thanks for the reviews for this so far. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter .

* * *

Mafuyu raised the camera to his eyes and took a photo. Before he could take a second one, though, one of the ghost's arms latched onto him and sent him flying into the wall.

"Mafuyu!" Akemi ran to his side and grabbed the camera from him. She raised it to her eyes, but her hands seemed to be shaking so badly that she couldn't take a photo.

Apparently deciding that Mafuyu was the bigger threat, the ghost went after him, ignoring Akemi.

Mafuyu moved backwards, gasping a little when the ghost grabbed at his ankle, digging ice-cold, sharp nails into his skin. Despite the pain, he grabbed the camera off Akemi and kicked his ankle free, before using the camera to get rid of the ghost.

Once the ghost had been destroyed, Mafuyu sank back a little and closed his eyes. Then, he sighed and glanced at Akemi. "You weren't exactly helpful just now." It was difficult to keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

Akemi lowered her head slightly. "Sorry. I guess I panicked." She extended a hand to help him up.

Mafuyu got to his feet. "Neither of us can leave this mansion now. We can't afford any hesitations, all right? Next time, I might not be able to act in time."

"Sorry," Akemi said again. "Which way do you think we should go? I'm all for going in the other direction - fast."

"But this way is probably clear now. Just stay behind me; and let me know if you hear anything." Without waiting for a reply, he started round the corner. He could hear Akemi following him, but didn't glance back at her. He needed to keep an eye on what was happening in front of them. He trusted Akemi - at least to let him know if there was any threat coming from behind them, if only because she clearly couldn't deal with the pressure.

Mafuyu glanced to the side and noticed a crack in the wall. There was a piece of paper shoved into the crack. He managed to grab the sheet, and found that it too seemed to have been written by a child.

_I made a friend today. She's seven, like me. This house is her home, though. I have other friends as well, but she's my best one. Everyone's talking about something special that's going to happen soon, but I don't know what._

Mafuyu glanced briefly at Akemi, then closed his eyes. He didn't often use his sixth sense to get a 'reading' - but he was willing to try anything.

When Mafuyu opened his eyes again, the hall seemed devoid of colour. There were two little girls of about seven or eight standing where Akemi had been. They were running towards him, and they looked scared - but neither of them were making a sound. He glanced up, and saw that there was a woman following them, feeling her way along the wall - but there was something wrong with her eyes...

Mafuyu blinked, and the vision was gone. Akemi stared at him. "What just happened? You look..." Her voice trailed off.

"I just saw two little girls being chased by a woman," Mafuyu replied, deciding that he might as well tell the truth - at least partly. "The woman had no eyes. I think... It looked like they'd been gouged out." He shuddered. "What happened here?" And how was the woman in the white kimono connected to it all?

Akemi flinched. "That's horrible," she said, then paused. "Why didn't I see anything?" She looked around.

"I don't know." Mafuyu didn't want to go into details. He carried on walking. When he got to another door, he opened it and went inside.

There was a pale blue wall in front of him. Mafuyu noticed that there seemed to be dried blood splattered on it, and he shuddered a little. He walked past the wall, and saw a small table with some candles and a red box on it. He turned round, and saw Tomoe disappear in front of a door at the far end.

"There are some papers over on that table," Akemi said, pointing to where there were some bone remains and a mortuary tablet. "Do you want me to go and pick them up?"

Mafuyu nodded. There was a door near to him, but he was getting a strange feeling from the door Tomoe had disappeared through. While Akemi went to pick up the papers, he walked over to the door and took a photo.

Instead of showing the talisman guarding the door, the photo showed a collection of boxes and chests which seemed to be in a storeroom of some kind.


	6. Chapter Six

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Six**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'; AU

* * *

Mafuyu lowered the camera and put the photo in his file. Then, he turned to Akemi. "What did you find out?"

"That woman we saw in the mirror – her name's Kirie," Akemi answered. "Also, the other sheet says that a maiden with no ties to the world will be torn apart to give power to the rope – after 3669 days of isolation." She looked quite pale.

Mafuyu studied her face, noticing that she seemed to be in shock. To be honest, he couldn't blame her. This whole situation concerned him greatly. Clearly, something terrible had happened in Himuro Mansion. He guessed that it might have been home to some kind of cult – but, of course, there was no way to know for sure; at least not with the information he had so far. Eager to keep Akemi talking, Mafuyu asked, "Have you seen the woman in white before?"

Akemi slowly shook her head, looking down. "No; I stayed in the entrance hall the whole time. The first time I saw her was in that mirror, with you."

"You know, you really don't have to come with me while I'm looking for my sister," Mafuyu said. "I can go back with you to the entrance hall, and you can stay there." After all, Mafuyu had only seen one ghost in the entrance – and that one hadn't made any attempt to attack either of them...

It was strange. It seemed like there were two kinds of ghosts in the mansion. There were the ghosts who had attacked them... but some of the spirits had acted as guides to information – or shown them things. He couldn't help wondering if, after they died, the spirits had... split somehow; into good and evil.

"I don't want to go back," Akemi said suddenly, pulling Mafuyu out of his thoughts. "Not unless you're going to get out of here with me. If you leave me alone, they'll hurt me!"

Mafuyu flinched, unable to help feeling guilty. There was no reason to assume she was lying to him. Maybe she'd seen Miku when his sister had come into the mansion, but had been panicking so much that she thought the other girl was a ghost as well. There was no way to know how long she'd been in the mansion for.

"I'm not going to leave you alone." Hesitantly, Mafuyu reached out; and placed his hand gently on Akemi's shoulder. "If you think it's safer to stay with me, then you can. But I know that we haven't seen the last of the ghosts."

"I know; I understand that." Akemi took a deep breath, and briefly covered his hand with her own, before lowering it again. "You took a photo of that door. Does that mean we have to go somewhere else?"

Mafuyu frowned, noticing how cold her hand was. He studied Akemi closely, but couldn't see her shivering. Perhaps that was worse, in a way. She might be cold because she was in shock.

He should have brought a warm coat with him.

"In the photo, a picture of what looked like a storeroom showed up," Mafuyu answered. "I assume that's where we have to go." He paused, then continued, "It concerns me that I haven't seen any sign of my sister at all. If I didn't know better, I would have said she never came here." He sighed lightly, hoping against hope that he would find Miku in time; before the deadly spirits got to her.

Miku was silent for a few moments. Then, she asked, "Where do you think the storeroom might be?"

"Close to here, I hope." Mafuyu turned and started walking quickly back the way they'd come, unable to shake off the heavy sense of foreboding which had settled over him. He was aware of Akemi following him, but didn't turn to look at her. He should probably ask if she wanted to talk about what was going through her mind – but he didn't really feel up to talking.

"What are you going to do with the photos once we're out of here?" Akemi asked, as they headed out of the door.

Mafuyu considered that for a few moments. "Maybe I'll put them into an account," he replied finally. "This will probably make good reading." And hopefully warn people to stay away from the mansion. Besides, he was a journalist.

This had the potential to be a big story – provided they all managed to survive, at least.

Akemi stayed quiet as they continued past the door. It didn't take long for Mafuyu to get to another room. There was a strange stone carving on the door, and Mafuyu frowned as he studied it. There was writing underneath the carving – which was a big circle, with numbers around it – but he could only make out some of the words. Something about the rope maiden... and days.

Mafuyu dropped his backpack onto the floor, and tried to move the circle. When it slid round, he turned it so that the mark was pointed at the 3, the 6, the 6 again, and then the 9.

There was a click, as if something had unlocked.

When Mafuyu would have opened the door, Akemi tugged on his sleeve. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "We don't know what might be in there. We've already seen several ghosts..."

"You don't _have_ to come in with me," Mafuyu said yet again. "I have to come out this way – and we already got rid of the ghost here."

Akemi just shook her head, and let go of his sleeve. "I'm worried that, if I stay here on my own, I'll end up losing my mind; if the ghosts don't get to me first."

Mafuyu nodded slightly. "If it makes you feel any better, you can look after the camera," he said, somewhat reluctantly. The camera was their only weapon – he didn't really want to let it go. But still...

Akemi just shook her head. "I'll probably panic again. I think it would be better if you take care of the camera. But thank you for making the offer."

Mafuyu reached out to open the door. He stepped into a room that was filled with boxes and chests.

_This way!_

Mafuyu glanced up to see the girl pointing towards a ladder in front of some other boxes. He blinked, and the girl was gone. If his theory about the splitting of souls was correct, where was the harmful side of the girl?

"Mafuyu?" Akemi asked hesitantly.

"Sorry," Mafuyu said. Keeping a tight hold of the camera, he walked in the direction the ghost had been pointing in. As he did so, his sixth sense started tingling. Slowly, he raised the camera to his eye; and was able to glimpse a spirit. From what he could make out, it seemed to be a woman. He automatically took a photo; and seemed to see a talisman being burned in the air.

Suddenly, Akemi let out a scream.

Mafuyu whirled, still with the camera raised, to see a floating woman pulling on Akemi. Without hesitating, he took a photo; and drove the ghost back. Akemi stumbled, apparently caught off balance. Mafuyu didn't give the ghost a chance to get its bearings, and took some more photos, continuing until the ghost disappeared with one last shriek. Then, he turned to Akemi – who had both arms wrapped around herself and was shivering violently. "Are you all right?"

Akemi nodded, but she looked even paler than before; and her teeth were chattering. Mafuyu hesitated briefly, but then slipped his arms around her, trying to use his own body heat to warm her.

Slowly, Akemi's shivers stilled. Finally, she took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped back, out of Mafuyu's embrace. "Thank you," she said quietly, wiping at the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry... but it was just so cold. I..." She closed her eyes briefly. "We can move on. I'm all right now."

Silently, Mafuyu slipped his free hand into hers. He squeezed her hand lightly, then let go and walked over to the door again. He opened it and slipped out, holding it open for Akemi to walk out as well, before closing it again.

Mafuyu frowned as he noticed handprints on the walls, that seemed to be made of blood. He studied them for a moment, feeling a faint sense of unease. Then, without saying a word, he headed back to the other room and went through, passing the table with the candles and the red box sitting on it. Akemi followed him without saying anything as he headed over to the far door, which was now free of the talisman holding it closed.

Mafuyu didn't hesitate as he opened the door and stepped out into the cold air. It hit him full force, enough to make him stop for a moment. However, he saw Tomoe's spirit moving in front of him; and started walking quickly after her, coming to another door which was locked by a talisman. Akemi stayed close to him, but still kept quiet. When he took a photo, it showed a waterwheel.

"The weather isn't any different to how it was when I first arrived," Akemi mumbled. "Do you think that that might be because of the evil that exists here?"

"I think anything's possible." Mafuyu headed back the way he came, and circled round the wall. There seemed to be blood – _fresh_ blood – on the ground, but he tried not to pay any attention to it.

As Mafuyu headed down the steps into the garden, he heard Akemi gasp next to him. When he glanced towards the tall, bare tree, he glimpsed a woman hanging from it.


	7. Chapter Seven

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Seven**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s):** Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'; AU

* * *

Akemi clutched at Mafuyu's arm. The ghost was only there for a moment before it disappeared, but Mafuyu didn't relax. Even though it was invisible to the eye, he could still feel it; just like he could feel Akemi, even though she wasn't holding onto him anymore.

Mafuyu half-lifted the camera – but it wasn't until Akemi gave a terrified squeak that he realised where the ghost was coming from. Quickly, he turned round; snapping a photo of the ghost as it floated towards him with its neck broken and its head hanging backwards.

And then, the ghost disappeared again. For a moment or two, Mafuyu thought he'd managed to defeat the ghost with just one photo. And then, he heard Akemi screaming.

Mafuyu spun round, raising the camera to his eye to find that the ghost was attacking Akemi. He took a photo instantly, and drove the spirit back. Before the ghost could react, he took several more photos and banished it. Afterwards, he turned to Akemi – even though there was a piece of paper where the ghost had been.

Akemi had slumped to her knees, huddled in a protective ball. Mafuyu stepped over to her, playing his flashlight over her still form. He could see that she was still breathing; but she seemed to be in shock. Mafuyu didn't blame her, but the mansion was too dangerous for either of them to retreat into themselves.

Crouching down next to Akemi, Mafuyu hesitated and then reached out; though he stopped before he actually touched her. "You can't let the spirit's attack get to you," he said gently. "It's not safe to lose control."

"It never gets easier," Akemi whispered. She looked up at Mafuyu, her face pale and her eyes wide. "I don't like this place. I want to go home."

"We'll get out of here – as soon as I find my sister and what happened to Tomoe and Mr. Takamine," Mafuyu answered with far more confidence than he felt. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you from the spirit this time. But I'll do my best to make sure nothing else happens to you." He was aware that he couldn't make any promises, but he really did intend to try and protect her.

Akemi nodded, pushing her hair back from her face with a hand that shook. She took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet.

"Are you all right now?" Mafuyu wondered if Akemi was still cold; but instead of checking, he walked over to the paper on the ground and picked it up.

_I don't agree with the rituals being performed here, but it's still something I have to be here for. I just hope that nothing goes wrong._

As he finished reading, Mafuyu became aware of a strange feeling from the other side of the fence. He glanced at Akemi, and then moved round the fence to find a door with a talisman attached to it.

Mafuyu glanced down at the camera and then raised it to his eye. He snapped a picture to find that there was a water wheel where the door should have been.

"I think there's another talisman over there," Akemi said, having followed Mafuyu over to the door and then walked back round the fence.

Mafuyu left the door and headed round to her, before walking to the far end. As he got to the door, he could feel the power of the talisman; and when he took a photo, it was to find that the image changed to what appeared to be a row of dolls.

"What have you seen?" Akemi asked from behind him.

"The first photo is of a water wheel; the second of a row of dolls." As he spoke, Mafuyu glanced towards the garden. His attention was drawn by what looked like Tomoe walking through a door next to what appeared to be a much smaller building.

"Don't go!" Akemi exclaimed when Mafuyu made to step out onto the path.

"I don't have a choice," Mafuyu replied, stepping onto the grass. It was cold, but not unbearably so. He was aware of Akemi following him over to the door, and he spoke without turning round. "You really don't have to come with me. I will be back."

"I don't want to be left here alone," Akemi replied. "I don't feel safe anywhere."

Mafuyu didn't say anything as he pushed the door open and stepped through.

It was too dark to see anything clearly, but it looked like there was a lake and a broken bridge a small way over it. Mafuyu looked around slowly – aware of how close Akemi was standing to him – and noticed that there were several torches by the lake; though none of them were lit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mafuyu saw the water wheel at the edge of his vision starting to turn. He heard Akemi gasp as he saw that Tomoe was coming round with the water wheel; but when he whipped his head round, she wasn't there at all.

And then, Mafuyu found himself plunged into a flashback, as he saw Tomoe pushed back against the water wheel. Rope marks appeared around her neck and limbs, and she gasped once; before collapsing onto the ground and lying still.

The same woman who Mafuyu had seen in the mirror approached Tomoe, with hands reaching out and a strong sense of darkness that Mafuyu could feel coming from both the hands and the figure.

"Kirie!"

Mafuyu turned at the same time Kirie did, and noticed Mr. Takamine standing there. Turning his attention back to Kirie, Mafuyu found himself filled with a sense of longing; and he stretched a hand out towards the woman.

The figures disappeared, and Mafuyu lowered his hand again, a bitter taste in his mouth.

"What did you see?" Akemi asked quietly.

"Another friend's death." Noticing something glinting on the ground, Mafuyu walked over and picked up the red tape lying there. Silently, he inserted it into the player and pressed PLAY.

"September 12th, 9am. I found Koji. His death was just like the one in the mountain village. His head and limbs were severed. I can't believe what's happening."

"Why aren't we finding any bodies?" Akemi asked in the silence that followed the tape recording.

"I assume something's taken them." Mafuyu closed his eyes briefly. A moment was all he could allow himself to grieve. He couldn't let his guard down at all. The only thing he could do was try to solve the mansion's history before its curse killed him and Akemi. He _had_ to find his sister.

Mafuyu raised the camera to his eye and took a picture. In the photo, he could see the faint image of a woman's ghost.


	8. Chapter Eight

**A New Fear**

**Chapter Eight**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Fatal Frame I and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** An AU of Fatal Frame I. After receiving a premonition of her brother's death, Miku enters the mansion before Mafuyu is able to; and it falls to her brother to try and save her

**Warning(s): **Extreme, somewhat graphic descriptions of violence and murders; original characters; spoilers for Fatal Frame I; slight 'tweaking'; AU

* * *

"Can't we leave?" Akemi begged, clutching at Mafuyu's arm. "We could at least go back to the entrance and see if the door's unlocked."

"There's no point in going back now. We may as well continue and see what happened here." Mafuyu spoke firmly, even though he felt for Akemi's fear. He was scared as well... but everything he learned only served to make him even more determined to find out what had happened in Himuro Mansion. And he also wanted to find out why he felt so drawn to Kirie – the spirit who was clearly responsible for so many of the deaths of people who came to the mansion.

Was she really responsible for the death of his sister as well?

Akemi hunched her shoulders and sighed, looking defeated. "I just hope that camera of yours holds out. How did you get it anyway?"

"My mother had it. I think she got it from her mother." Mafuyu's reply was a little short, but he couldn't help that. His family wasn't something he liked to talk about.

"I think I could really do with a camera like that," Akemi muttered. "Or _some_ way to hurt the ghosts, at least."

"The camera doesn't hurt the spirits – it just banishes them temporarily." As he spoke, Mafuyu walked over to the door again and pushed it open. "I don't think the spirits will ever be able to move on until something changes."

"Like what?" Akemi asked. "And who's going to be able to do anything? I don't want to be killed like your friends and sister. I'm scared of the ghosts."

"Do you even know how long you've been here for?" Mafuyu asked. "You said that the weather hasn't changed at all since you came here." He paused briefly, and lowered his voice; aware of the impact that what he was about to say might have on Akemi. "You're going to have to face the possibility that more time has passed than you think."

When Akemi didn't say anything, Mafuyu turned round to look at her. Seeing that her shoulders were slumped and that she looked like she was close to tears, he sighed and softened his voice. "I'm not trying to upset you. Miku's the only family I have left. The other people I'm close to all came here, and two of them are definitely dead. Mr. Takamine probably is as well. I don't have anyone to miss me."

"Neither do I," Akemi said quietly. "My family's been dead for a long time now. All I had left were my friends... and they're all gone now."

"I'm sorry," Mafuyu said after a moment. "But I do need your help. I think that, if we can work together, we may stand a chance of defeating the curse on this mansion."

"What makes you think that we'll succeed where so many others have failed – and died in the attempt?"

"Obviously, I can't say that we'll definitely succeed – and the odds are certainly against us," Mafuyu said carefully. "But we have the camera – and there seems to be at least one ghost who wants us to succeed. The little girl in the white kimono. I don't know who she is – but she at least seems to be free of whatever's affecting the spirits."

"But not every spirit we've seen has attacked us," Akemi pointed out.

"No," Mafuyu replied. "From what we've seen so far, I believe that the spirits of those killed in Himuro Mansion have split into two. One is clearly harmful... and the other seems to desire freedom and provide clues, even if they can't tell us anything outright."

"If you're right, then what about the harmful side of the little girl?"

"I honestly don't know. But we have to be on our guard – no matter what." Mafuyu waited and, when Akemi didn't say anything, he turned once more and started heading back to the mansion. He could hear Akemi following him, but didn't turn round as he headed up the steps. When he rounded the fence, he saw that the talisman holding the door in place was now gone.

Akemi stayed close to Mafuyu as he opened the door and stepped inside.

The first thing that Mafuyu noticed was that the room was filled with dolls. The second thing he noticed was that Tomoe's spirit was crouched in front of a doll that was roped off, and she slowly looked up at Mafuyu, before fading away and only leaving a blue light behind.

Mafuyu walked over to the roped-off doll; and as he got nearer to the light, Tomoe's face appeared. "Kirie... Kirie," the spirit whispered before disappearing again.

"That looks like the woman we saw in the mirror," Akemi whispered, close behind Mafuyu and apparently staring at the doll.

"I think it must be a shrine of some kind." Something to do with the maiden torn apart to give power to the rope? Was that Kirie? Mafuyu shone the flashlight onto the doll, noticing the way the long hair obscured its face from view. There was something inherently strange about the doll... he felt almost as if it were watching him.

But that was impossible... wasn't it?

As the laughter of a child echoed round the room, Mafuyu jerked back slightly. He looked around, suddenly noticing that the room seemed so much darker than before. "Get back by the door!" he ordered Akemi, even as he heard the sound of something sliding open behind him.

Mafuyu spun round and saw a little girl crawling out of the wall. She was laughing as she came towards him, and he found it difficult to get a good view of her in the camera. He had to dash out of the way several times, and it took him a few more photos than usual to be able to banish the ghost. When he finally succeeded, he was almost panting with the effort it had taken.

"Are you all right? Did the ghost touch you? Are you marked?" Akemi hurried over to Mafuyu and reached for his hands before she paused and took a step back. "Sorry."

"I'm just tired." Mafuyu straightened, and tried to smile – though he was aware it was probably a very poor attempt. "Apparently, banishing the ghosts takes a lot out of you."

"Would you like me to hold onto the camera?" Akemi asked. "I can't promise to be as fast as you... but I'm sure I'll be able to banish a ghost."

"Thanks." As Mafuyu handed Akemi the camera, their fingers brushed lightly. For a moment, the two of them locked eyes. Briefly, he grasped her hand; and then let it go. Even though they were both in the same perilous situation, he was unwilling to act on the attraction he felt for her. Not only did he feel like it was the wrong time, he didn't have any idea of what to even do. There really weren't that many people he let himself get close to.

"It looks like there are some papers over there."

Did Akemi look disappointed? Mafuyu couldn't tell before the look on her face was gone. "You'll have to take a photo," he said as he headed over to the row of dolls and picked up the papers lying there.

The first couple of sheets were from Tomoe's journal. There was the mention of children playing in the room who kept calling to her. She also mentioned severed heads in a room – cut off by the Himuro family master. What was that supposed to mean? He couldn't help shuddering a little at what he was reading.

The final sheet was less disturbing to read – but was just as hard to understand:

_They won't let me see my family. They pretend to be nice, but I know they're not. They say we have to play a game... I don't want to. I'm scared._

"Did you find anything?" Akemi asked.

"When I know how everything fits together, I'll let you know." Mafuyu glanced at her. "Take a picture of the end closest to the door." As he spoke, he put the papers into his file. Whatever had happened in Himuro mansion, it was quite clear that the place had a long and blood-soaked history.

Hearing the snap of a photo being taken, Mafuyu glanced at Akemi, who looked at him, biting her lip. "It's a picture of another child."

"The only thing we can do now is hope we can find a way of allowing the spirits to move on peacefully," Mafuyu said quietly. "We can't do anything else for them now." He walked over to the door. "Come on."


End file.
